This invention relates to the preparation of a dough product such as a pizza. More particularly, it is directed to the processing of a pizza crust which may be subjected to a multiplicity of steps including precooking, ingredient receiving, quick freezing, packaging and handling.
Convenience food processing is an extremely large industry. Shelf life is a most important aspect of a convenience food. Foods must retain their color, moisture content and general palatability over extended periods of time. This is particularly true with respect to pizza. Pizza is sold in various ways. The pizza shell or crust may be manufactured and sold to the individual consumer or to another processor who places ingredients thereon. The completed pizza may be partially cooked, uncooked or completely cooked followed by a freezing step.
Quick-freezing apparatus is used to produce frozen pizza bearing food ingredients. The substantial velocity of air in such apparatus will blow off many of the ingredients such as grated cheese, oregano, parsley, pepperoni, anchovies, shrimp, and the like. This produces a substantial economic loss with respect to the processing of the frozen pizza. The food ingredients which have been blown from the crust to the floor or conveyor cannot be reused. Further, there is significant dehydration of the pizza crust and the food ingredients.
The food ingredients of any pizza product are subject to oxidation. For example, ingredients such as pork sausage, pepperoni and anchovies are highly susceptible to oxidation and consequently, rancidity.
Finally, shrinkage, flavor loss, and scorching can be very troublesome during the cooking of known pizza products. Spices are very volatile and lose their strength both in storage and in the cooking process. Shrinkage is caused when the various portions of the pizza product are dehydrated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,117 exemplifies the prior art. Here a tomato product is placed on a pizza crust. Subsequently, the coated pizza crust is treated to coagulate or coalesce the tomato product on the surface of the dough. The food ingredients are then placed over the film of tomato sealing agent. Thus, any unwanted moisture may not penetrate the dough crust. There must be an interaction of the sealing agent with the dough product. The various other problems of dehydration, breaking and splitting, oxidation, food loss during freezing and general shelf life of the product have not been overcome.